Time Lord Victorious
by VoteSaxon45
Summary: When the Doctor has to kill millions of people to save billions, it destroys him. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he takes a trip to Earth that is meant to relax him but ends up sending him over the edge.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor was alone. Always alone. Of course, he had the TARDIS, but she offered no help. Today, he sat on the little bench in the TARDIS, with his feet propped up on the console and his head leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "What now, girl?" he asked the TARDIS. She gave nothing back. "What do I do now? They're all gone."

Silence.

"Is that because of me? It is. You know it is. I've… I've been so selfish. Trying to take these magnificent women from their lives, their _families_ , just to make myself less lonely. That's selfish, right? That's wrong."

He sat in the quiet for a moment. "Like Jack. Jack was fine before I found him. And then… it's my fault he's like he is. He's _wrong_ , because of me. And, you know, I pity him, old girl. I pity him, because he's like me. He's lonely. No matter how much he loves someone, he can never spend the rest of his life with them, because they'll die and he'll just sit in the silence. Alone. I guess that makes us perfect for each other, eh?" the Doctor put forth a small chuckle. "And then there's the _Master._ I know _he's_ not really my fault, but I still have the guilt of who he is on my shoulders. What would he be if I hadn't abandoned him? He could've been something magnificent - something _beautiful._ And now… now he's just _psychotic_. I should've been there for him all along, and maybe he wouldn't be like this. I could've helped him in the Time War, I could've helped him escape. I could've gotten rid of those bloody drums in his head, and he might not've died. That's one more death on my conscience."

He looked up at the time rotor, watching the luminescent rotors work the TARDIS through the Time Vortex. "It'll be that day tomorrow."

He waited for someone to ask "What day?", but no one did, so he answered himself. "The day I lost Rose to Pete's World. I was thinking of going back to Canary Wharf. What d'you think?"

The TARDIS offered no counsel. The Doctor looked down tiredly. "I dunno what to do." Just silence. "Maybe I should go visit Martha." he thought. He shook his head. "I can't. I've already interfered with her enough.

"Should I go see Jack?"

Nothing answered.

"No. He's got Torchwood. He's got that Ianto bloke and Gwen. He doesn't need me."

As the Doctor realized just how alone he really was, he felt a tear trickling down his cheek, and he sniffed. He decided he would go visit where he'd said goodbye to the Master - forever. The Master was the only one he thought would really understand the Doctor's loneliness. The TARDIS arrived at the beach in minutes, and the Doctor slowly walked out the door, taking his coat and throwing it over his shoulder so he would have something clean to sit on instead of ruining his suit with sand. He walked along the water for a few minutes until he found the exact spot where he'd left the Master's body to burn, laid down his coat, and sat down in front of the lapping waves. Of course, the Master had returned to him since then, but he missed the Master that wasn't completely insane. He poured out everything he was feeling and thinking about to the indifference of the waves, and then jumped when he heard footsteps behind him in the sand. When he whirled around, it was the Master looming above him, but it was the Master from their latest encounter - grimy clothes, dirty hair, and eyes sparkling with something under the tears that were filling them. "Master?" the Doctor whispered. The Master didn't reply and sat down next to the Doctor. "This is the place, then?"

The Doctor remained silent with embarrassment at the possibility that the Master could have heard every word he had just said. "The place where you burned my body?"

The Doctor nodded. The Time Lord next to him pulled his knees up to his chest and stared out at the sunset. "I guess I can see why you like Earth so much."

"How are you here?"

"Doesn't matter. Time Lord stuff."

"I'm a Time Lord, too."

"I'll tell you when _you_ die, okay?"

Silence except for the waves lapping at their shoes. "Did you…?"

"Yeah. Every word."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I dunno how I can help you."

This time, the Doctor was shocked. He turned to stare at the Master incredulously. "You want… you want to _help me?_ "

"Don't make a big deal out of it or I'll go away."

"Right, yeah, it's just… you never seemed to want to… _help me._ "

"I know."

"And…?"

"I didn't know you felt like this. If I knew, I would've stepped forward to help you."

"Would you?"

"Yeah."

The Doctor prodded at the sand with his trainers. "Why? Why would you do that for me?" he wondered. The Master sighed and smiled. "You're not the only lonely one."

"But you're…"

"Crazy?"

"Well, I - "

"You were thinking it. You forget that I'm more psychic than you are, Doctor?" the Master demanded with hostility. The Doctor shook his head. "No, that's not what I -"

"Do you want me to come with you or not? Because I have… better things to do."

"Like what?" the Doctor scoffed. Without a word, the Master stood and began stalking back into the shadows, but the Doctor jumped to his feet, snatched his coat, and chased after him. "No, Master, I'm sorry!" he shouted. The Master stopped, whirled around, and shoved the Doctor backwards into the sand. "What happens when you break, Doctor?" he snarled.

"What happens when you're not 'the Doctor' anymore? What happens when you let go and become something like _me?_ Because you will. I can see it in your eyes. It's _gonna_ happen, and you can't stop it!" he ended in a shout. The Doctor laid there, exactly where the Master had pushed him, and didn't respond, to which the Master stormed away. The Doctor was frozen in place with fear, because he knew the Master was right. He could feel it in him sometimes - something dark and dangerous bubbling to the surface and threatening to overpower him. He only barely kept himself from shooting Jenny's killer - he knew he could be a killer if he did what the Master said he would. If he just let go. Let go of what? A question the Doctor was afraid to answer.

He got up and went back to the TARDIS. He didn't know where to go next. He felt like he'd been everywhere and done everything, but he knew that wasn't true. He just felt so...burnt out. Tired. He flipped several switches and buttons, not really knowing or caring where he went. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was taking his mind off everything, especially what the Master had said. The Doctor refused to let go.

The frustration disappeared once he heard the familiar sound of the brakes as the TARDIS landed. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he moved towards the door, wondering where he'd landed. The creak of the opening door was the only sound except for the gentle breeze outside and the soft throng of his trainers on the floor of the TARDIS. He stepped onto the grass - the apple grass. The city loomed above him, glittering and shining bright under the afternoon sun, with cars zooming overhead. The Time Lord smiled softly up at the blue sky and ran his fingers through his hair. Lovely memories of Rose took the place of the pool of dread in his head. He saw her blonde hair flapping in the wind, her warm brown eyes as she looked up at him, the excitement she held when the Doctor told her about the apple grass. His mood improved a bit, he began strolling along the fields to visit the city, realizing he'd never really had time for sightseeing when he was here twice before. He smiled softly, sniffing back tears, and shoved his hands deep in his pockets to sightsee. The people were bustling about happily, families, friends, and… couples. The Doctor's hearts sank, but he kept on, trying to remain positive. New Earth was beautiful. The towering city, the blue sky and the bright sun. New New York was beautiful. He looked over at the great hospital towering in the distance and began toward it, wondering if they'd gotten around to putting up a shop yet. Inside, he grinned. There was a shop now, and it was exactly where he recommended they should put it before. Again, he felt his hearts droop. He saw her everywhere in this hospital. He steeled himself and strode into the shop, plucking things off of shelves and examining them, and then making his way to the 'Wall of Fame', a collection of signed portraits of all the famous people to be patients at this particular hospital. He found the Face of Boe, the Duke of Manhattan, and then he found himself and Rose. He leaned down to look at the picture that must've been taken as they were leaving the hospital, because they looked hurried, and they were smiling. Both of them. The Doctor found his fingers gently touching Rose, and his hearts warmed, a smile found its way onto his face. As he felt his eyes smart with tears, he turned away and hurried to a different shelf. This one sold crystal figurines of said famous patients. The money would go in part to the hospital, in part to the government, and in part to the famous figure themselves. The Doctor picked up a Face of Boe figurine and then a figurine of himself and Rose, and brought them both to the counter. The girl working there didn't smile. "'Allo." the Doctor said with a smile. She glanced up at him. "Nice day out, innit?"

"Sure." she said, bagging the items and handing them over. The Doctor quickly thanked her and tucked the bag into his coat pocket - which was bigger on the inside. He hopped into one of the lifts and said, "Ward 26, thanks."

The lift accelerated up, and he was on the correct ward in a matter of seconds. Just for reminiscing, of course. A nurse made her way to the Doctor - and she was not a Catkind nurse. She looked human enough, although her arms had beautiful, intricate patterns naturally carved into them. She was born with them, and they gave away her species to the Doctor. "Hello, sir."

"Anything going on lately? No problems?" he asked immediately. She looked a bit confused until he whipped out his psychic paper and showed off his 'credentials', to which her eyes widened and she bowed. "Just one anomaly, Sir Doctor." she said. He tucked the psychic paper back into his pocket and followed her into the ward, where there was a quarantine center in place of what used to be Intensive Care. She pointed to one patient in the quarantine, who was surrounded by an army of doctors and nurses. "He's infected, sir, with a virus, but we don't have a clue what it is or where it came from."

"A virus?"

"From what we can tell, deadly and contagious. As soon as the patient arrived, there was an outbreak of the virus on the same ward, and we had to quarantine the lot."

"Who was the first patient? Show me." the Doctor commanded. The nurse shook her head. "We can't go inside the quarantine. Only the authorized doctors and individuals are allowed inside." she explained.

"Can you point him out? Show me a file - something?"

She nodded and they left the window that let them peer into a bit of the quarantine. They arrived at a huge row of filing cabinets and she rifled through one drawer and pulled out a manilla file with the insignia of a green moon on the front - the Universal sign for a hospital. "This is his file."

The Doctor was given the file and he flipped it open, scanning over the information. "Nine years old?" he demanded incredulously. The girl nodded. "From what his family said, they were from Great Cardiff and they were just coming for a visit. They stopped in New Wyoming and stayed at a little resort in New Jelm Mountain, and that's when they noticed he was sick."

"Symptoms?"

"It says them on the file - "

"Yes, but I'd like _you_ to tell me."

"Erm, yes sir. At first, nausea, fever, and fatigue. Over time, though, he developed a strange red rash on his upper region and a constant pain in his stomach. When he was taken in, he was X-rayed. We found nothing, but one of the doctors suggested we use infrared X-rays, and we found millions of tiny organisms inside the boy. It appears…" She stifled a gag. "It appears they're eating him from the _inside out._ "

The Doctor winced. Not much disgusted him anymore, but _this_...this was pushing it.

"Is there anything you lot can do?"

"We're _trying,_ but there doesn't seem to be anything we can do! We even tried to make a vaccine from the organisms, but it just accelerated the virus faster!" She looked down. "I dunno what we can do anymore. What are you planning to do?"

"I'm not sure yet." He said truthfully. He walked back to the lift and left the hospital, back towards the TARDIS. He punched in the directions, and they were off.

He swung open the doors. Apparently, they'd materialized in the wrong spot, as there were soldiers there, having a meeting. They all stopped talking immediately and quickly cocked their guns at him. He quickly raised his hands.

"Woah, now! I'm sorry, but I _really_ don't appreciate having guns pointed at me."

Suddenly, a woman with short, light blonde hair yanked in a short ponytail stood up. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded harshly. The Doctor leaned against the doorframe of the TARDIS and tugged on his ear. "Well, just… having a look about, I suppose."

"This area is _quarantined._ And what is that thing?"

She gestured with her own gun up at the TARDIS. The Doctor grinned and patted the wood. "Oh, this old girl? She's called a TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimensions in Space."

"What? Okay, I don't care."

She turned to the other men holding guns with thick black body armour. "Take him into holding, get him inspected, and if he's infected…"

The woman smirked at the Doctor. "I suppose we'll have to kill him. Can't risk getting the virus everywhere, can we?"

The Doctor's eyes widened dramatically and he backed into the TARDIS as the guards began advancing toward him. One leapt inside just before he shut the doors and aimed his gun straight between the Doctor's eyes. "Step away from those controls!" he shouted. The Doctor made a face and backed _toward_ the controls. "Well, I'm sorry, but don't point that thing at me unless you plan to shoot. And, I suppose, if you _do_ choose that I would be a little peeved, but then you'll get a spectacular show, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Now, are you gonna put the gun down?"

The guard looked the Doctor straight in the eyes, and then lowered his gun to the floor. "Good." the Doctor said quietly, nodding. He turned to the controls and began working. "Now, I don't usually like to do that because _I_ think it's an invasion of privacy, but you really gave me no choice. Next time, if you don't want to get… persuaded, I suggest you stop waving your gun around and let me get to work."

"Yessir, sorry sir."

The Doctor bustled around the console for a moment, before stopping and turning back to the soldier. "Where was it that the virus originated?"

"The resort on Jelm Mountain, sir."

"Ah. Thanks."

He programmed the TARDIS to fly him to the aforementioned destination, and snatched two gas masks from underneath the console. "Now, put this on." he commanded the guard. He removed his face mask and replaced it with the gas mask, as the Doctor slipped the mask over his own head. "That should keep out the virus. Now, _Allons-y!"_ He shouted, opening the doors, with the guard behind him looking at him like he was mad. "I'm not going out there!" he insisted. The Doctor rolled his eyes, wheeled around, and grabbed the guard by his shoulders. "That's probably a good idea, but what fun is just sitting around and doing nothing? No, come on, you wanted this job to _go out there,_ get dirty! Make a difference with your own two hands!"

"I didn't want the job, sir! My mum applied me."

The Doctor stopped and sighed heavily. "Oh, alright, then. You stay in here, but _don't touch!_ Alright? Don't touch _anything_."

"Yessir."

He whirled around, closed the TARDIS doors, and cautiously stepped through the entrance to the quarantine tent, erected around the Jelm Mountain Luxury Resort. There were men in hazmat suits bustling about, and as soon as the Doctor stepped inside, they all froze to stare at him. "Oh. Hello." he said with a small, awkward grin.

"Security breach on Entrance One." one of the suits said. The Doctor put his arms behind his back, smiled tautly, and nodded. "Yup."

"How did you get in?"

"Well, through the door over there. Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"Just a bit, yeah."

"Oh. Well, don't mind me. I'll just mozy around and stay out of your business."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"What kind of Doctor? Did the Director send you?"

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. "Ah! Yes, the Director, yes."

He whipped out his psychic paper and flashed it in front of their faces. "Right, and that's the Director of…?"

"Torchwood. What other Director might there be?"

He began strolling around the lobby, observing but not touching. "I dunno. Just making sure you know what you're talking about."

"Of course we know what we're talking about. What did he send you for?"

"Observation and elimination of the virus."

"That's what _we're_ doing."

"Oh, but I'm _good._ Just give me a look about, and I'll figure out what you're dealing with." the Doctor said with a grin. The first suit glanced about before sighing resignedly and nodding. "First, you'll need to get into one of our suits." he said. The Doctor made a face and shook his head. "No thanks. I'll be fine in this." he said, gesturing to his gas mask. The suited man rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

He gestured for the Doctor to follow him. "Sorry, what's your name?" the Doctor inquired.

"Ubinks. Reginold Ubinks."

"Must've had fun in school then, innit?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry, right. So, _Reggy_ \- "

"No one calls me that."

"I do." the Doctor grinned. Reggy scowled and gestured to a group of scientists clustered around a table. "We caught a sample of the virus." he said. The Doctor grinned almost maniacally and danced past him and into the fray of men and women in baggy yellow hazmat suits. They parted a bit to let him through but then just bustled on like he wasn't even there. "Right, what're we dealing with here?" he asked himself softly. He bent over to examine the virus at close quarters. It was sealed safely inside a petri dish, and it was moving. The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and cautiously scanned the thing inside the petri dish, then looked at the readings and frowned. "No…" he murmured. Reggy sidled up to him and looked down at the dish. "I've not seen it up close before." he whispered. "It looks like it's alive."

"Yes, it is."

"What?"

"It's a living thing. Not just another group of bacteria or your normal Earth virus. Well, New Earth virus. It's an actual living, breathing thing. Back at the hospital I saw the X-Ray of this virus. It was eating the patient from the inside out."

"D'you know what it is?"

"Yes. I do. It has to be neutralized."

"I dunno how you plan on doing that. We can't even figure out what it _is._ "

"Oh, well I'm very good." the Doctor said with a playful wink. He soon grew solemn. "There's only one way to get rid of this virus."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"We have to blow up the source."

"Jelm Mountain Travel Resort?"

"No. The entire city."

Reginald's face fell. "What?" he demanded. The Doctor didn't look at him. "It's the only way to save the planet. To save the _galaxy._ " he said. There was stunned silence from the man beside him for a moment. "I thought you were a Doctor."

"I am. I'm just not the Doctor you were expecting."

"How the hell does that work? Killing an entire city? Can't we evacuate?"

"No."

The word was sharp and stern in the Doctor's throat. "We can't. The city is probably already infected and we have no way of telling if they've contracted the virus. See, it evolves with every host body. It figures out how we're detecting it and evolves so that we _can't_ detect it. Not until it's too late and the host is almost dead. It diminishes symptoms so that it seems like the victim only has a head cold or a fever and it'll pass."

"Alright. Then we just take everyone that's ill in and evac the rest!"

"I _told_ you, we _can't._ It's too late." the Doctor croaked. His eyes were filled with pity and sorrow that made Reginald believe that the Doctor really _didn't_ want this to happen, but he had no choice. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but no."

The Doctor whirled around, eyes wide in disbelief. They seemed impossibly old and incomprehensibly sad. "What?"

"I'm not going to let you blow up this city. We'll find a way to beat it."

"I told you, there _is_ no way. It's _impossible_ to predict how this thing will evolve! Sooner than later, it'll be inside _you_ lot!"

"You underestimate us, Doctor. We're the city of New Wyoming. We can do anything." the man said. The Doctor rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Oh, I should've known. _Humans,_ stupid humans!"

"Sorry?"

He pushed out of the mess of scientists and stormed out of the lodge. "I'm sorry, Reggy, but if _you_ won't do it, _I_ have to." he mumbled to himself. The Time Lord barged into the TARDIS, slammed the doors shut behind him, ripped off his gas mask, and turned to the soldier, who was sitting on the bench beside the console and cradling his gun. "Right, where do I get access to missiles?" the Doctor demanded.

"Wait, what would you need them for?"

"Just tell me!" the Doctor roared. The soldier looked terrified, and rightly so. The Doctor looked outright _insane._

Since the soldier had never had nerves of steel, he stuttered out what the Doctor wanted to know. "It's on the military website. Well, no. Not _on_ the website. You need codes to access it. But only soldiers have the codes."

"Well, you're a soldier! You can tell me!"

"I could be put in jail for that."

"That won't matter if everyone's dead." the Doctor said quietly. The man looked down at his gun nervously. "Don't make me manipulate you again." the Time Lord threatened. Then, he softened. He realized how much this would be for the man to take in - a crazed alien bent on destroying a city and a ship that's bigger on the inside. "I'm sorry. What's your name?"

"Private Rick, sir."

"Private Rick, that's a nice name. You got family, Private?"

"Yessir."

"Where do they live?"

"Just East of here, sir, in a little settlement. We've got a farm."

"A farm? How lovely. Listen to me: if you don't help me do this, they will die."

"But they'll die if I _do_ help you do this, sir. You're going to blow up the city - that includes their settlement."

"I'll take them in here." the Doctor promised. Private Rick froze. "Would that save them?"

"Yes, it would."

There was a tense silence and then the young man nodded. "Alright. Okay. Can we get them before I tell you, though? I don't want to get there too late."

The Doctor nodded, and set the TARDIS up to get there. The TARDIS landed rather shakily, and the Doctor thought that maybe, just maybe, she didn't approve of what he was going to do. He brushed off the thought and moved over to Rick. "You can go out, now." Rick looked up. "T-thanks. What do I tell them?"

The Doctor stiffened. He hadn't thought of that. "I dunno. _Anything._ Just not...y'know."

Rick nodded, and moved towards the door, and opened it, running outside. The Doctor peered out, as well. It was an unusually sunny day, and he could hear the cows mooing and the horses whinnying.

He saw Rick ring the doorbell, and a short woman with bushy hair and a big jaw came out of the door. They held onto each other tightly. The woman waved a tall man with gingery hair out, and he hugged Rick too, as a skinny boy, around ten years old came out as well. They talked for a second, then he heard the woman yell, " _What?"_ The Doctor cringed. _No, he didn't tell them. He told me he wouldn't._

Rick gently led them to the TARDIS, but the little boy was crying. "I'm not leavin' Applejack, or Pete. I can't, Rick, I can't!"

"Aw, Danny. It's okay! We can get a new horse, and a new cat."

"But they're gonna get the virus! They're gonna die!"

"I know. I'm sorry buddy." The woman patted Danny's shoulder. "Don't worry, love. Rick's right. We can get new ones." She sighed. "I'm gonna miss them, though."

"C'mon, mum, we've gotta go." She nodded and walked in, as did the rest. They all paled. " _What?"_ She breathed, and the two adults ran out, with Rick chasing after them. But the boy just kept on staring. "It's smaller on the outside!"

"Oh, you _are_ unique, aren't you?"

Danny shrugged. "I guess. I wouldn't know." Eventually, Rick and his parents came back in. His dad walked up to the Doctor. "Hello. I'm Martin, and this is Holly." He said, waving to the woman, who was staring at everything.

"This is impossible." She rasped. The Doctor closed the doors.

"Now, Rick! The codes!"

Rick looked up. "Oh...oh yeah."

"Codes? What codes?" Holly demanded.

"It's nothing, mum."

"Yeah right, Ricky! What codes?"

"Mum, believe me. It's nothing."

She dropped it. Rick turned towards the Doctor. He nodded. "Get on the site."

"Already done."

"The codes are 15380926-Shield-8." He said, with a heavy heart. The Doctor nodded, tapping in the numbers. His finger lingered over the _Enter_ button. The TARDIS creaked threateningly. "I'm sorry, old girl. I'm so sorry. But I've got to." He rasped. He pressed _Enter._

The TARDIS rocked and thrashed about dangerously, sending the Doctor, Private Rick, and his family flying through the console room. Just as soon as it began, the chaos was over. Everything was eerily still. The Doctor didn't move from his place on the metal grating that was the floor. He laid there, splayed out and breathing heavily, staring at the domed ceiling in horror. He heard the sounds of Rick's family recuperating, but he made no move to help them. All he did was lay there and listen. "Ricky? Are you alright?" Rick's mum asked shakily. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, mum. Make sure everyone else is okay." Rick said. He got to his feet and shook his head, but the nickname his mother had given him ricocheted in the Doctor's skull. _Ricky._ Ricky's death was his fault, too. Wasn't it? "Sir? Are you alright?" the human asked. His voice jolted the Doctor out of his stupor. He pasted on a smile and jumped to his feet. "Of course! Look at me - I'm always alright. _Now_ , let's take you and your family to New Manhattan and drop you off. I'll deal with everything else." the Time Lord said. Rick looked around at his inquisitive family doubtfully. "But, sir - " he whispered, leaning in so they wouldn't hear. "What do I tell them?"

"Not the truth. You can't. If they ask if you or I had anything to do with the bombing, say no."

"What _do_ I tell them?"

"I dunno." the Doctor admitted. "Humans, they'll believe anything."

"Not my mum."

The Doctor scowled playfully. "Mothers - now _they're_ the one's you've got to worry about. Not _aliens_ , not _killer viruses_ , keep your eyes on those _mothers._ " he said. His face broke out into a grin and he looked away. "Thanks, Ricky."

"I don't think I ever got your name, sir."

"The Doctor."

"Doctor what?"

"Just 'the Doctor', thanks." the Time Lord said. Rick frowned, but extended his hand to shake the Doctor's. "Well, I suppose I should thank you, 'Doctor', although you just committed mass murder back there."

The Doctor's hearts nearly stopped. He looked down at Private Rick in horror. "What?" he stuttered. The human didn't seem to notice his frightened gasp, because he grinned and turned back to his family. "Alright! Mum, Danny, Dad! Let's go, now."

"But - but what about the virus? We didn't bring our gas masks, we're not safe outside!" Holly pleaded. Rick smiled and took her hand gently. "Come and see." he said, leading her to the door. When he opened it, she burst into tears. "This is all just a nightmare, isn't it Ricky - just a nightmare, Ricky, you're not even here, and this isn't even real…"

As she kept blubbering on, the Doctor rolled his eyes and murmured snarky comments about mothers under his breath. Danny and Rick's father - Martin - came up behind the woman and gasped at the fact that the little blue box had moved from their farm to the bustling city of New Manhattan. "This is ridiculous." Martin said. He pushed past his wife and children and stumbled into the street. "Wow." Danny said. The Doctor rolled his eyes yet again and rushed over to them. He hurriedly pushed them out of the TARDIS, saying, "Yes, yes, it's quite cool, now you've got to go because I have things to do."

The family was dumped into New Manhattan and the Doctor slammed the TARDIS doors shut behind them, hurrying back to the console and programming the flight pattern for the bomb site. When he landed, the TARDIS shuddered slightly, and he looked up at the Time Rotor sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, girl. You know I had to. I didn't have a choice."

The TARDIS left him in cold silence. "I - " he started to apologize again, but decided against it. He didn't need to explain his actions to his own TARDIS. He scowled up at her and then pushed out of the door and into a charred wasteland.


	2. Chapter 2

There was nothing left. Nothing but dirt and ash and rubble. The air stunk of death and destruction and unforgiveness. There was literally nothing; not even bones. He looked around, feeling...nothing. For the first time, he felt nothing but cold, weary, tired and alone. What was going on? Here was the Doctor, a murderer, and he felt more passionately than he had ever felt before. He stepped out onto the ashes and realized that his trainers were treading on what used to be a person. Most likely several people, blown into dust. He coughed the ash out of his lungs and darted back into the TARDIS. She glowed down at him as he leaned against the console, breathing heavily although there was no reason to be. Perhaps the weight of mass murder sat on his chest and restricted his lungs.

He ran his fingers over the controls and scrubbed a tear from his face. "I just need to get away." he said to himself.

"A vacation. No trouble, no one to save."

He looked up at the time rotor and then his fingers whirred over the controls as he set her flight pattern. "Somewhere innocent. Nothing big or flashy. Nothing dangerous."

She groaned and creaked assent as the TARDIS began flying through time and space, searching for somewhere peaceful to send him. He leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "Somewhere I can relax." he murmured. When the TARDIS landed, he tentatively approached the door. Where had she taken him? He itched to check the monitor and see where he was, but he resisted. He liked surprises. Carefully, gingerly he put his hand on the knob of the door and gently pulled it open, listening to the soothing, familiar creak of the old girl opening to spill him out somewhere new. When he poked his head out, he didn't see anything relaxing. He saw the _opposite_ of relaxing. It was a crowded Cardiff street, with humans rushing about and yelling at each other. People carrying shopping bags, mobile, 21st century technology, and children hurrying somewhere. Stupid, thick humans. He ducked back into the TARDIS and looked up at her with a frown. "What the hell is this?" he demanded. She didn't reply, even when he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "I wanted to go somewhere I can _relax_ , not somewhere where everyone is constantly in danger!"

She didn't reply and it was an insistent silence. She urged him to go outside and explore, and he sighed but obliged. Turning on his heel, the Doctor pulled open the door once more and this time stepped onto the pavement and closed the door behind him.

For the longest time, nothing happened, and he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could relax, he could calm down. Naturally, it didn't last. After he'd wandered around for a while, he looked up at one of the taller apartment buildings and saw something at the top. At first, he dismissed it as one of those decorative gargoyles or a spire or something, but then the thing moved. It peered over the edge of the roof and looked down at the busy pavement. His sensitive eyes caught something falling - something impossible for human eyes to see at this distance. It plummeted down twenty stories and landed on the pavement with a weak splat. Just a drop of water - a tear. It was then when it hit him. That was a person up there. He jerked his hands out of his pockets and sprinted into the building, yanked open the door, decided against the slow elevator and launched himself up flights of stairs. There was something wrong. As he got closer and closer to the rooftop, there was a crushing sense of darkness, hopelessness, hurt, that grew with every step. Finally, he slammed into the door that would allow him out onto the roof, but it was locked.

Erin looked over the side of the building down at the pavement. There were so many people down there… all doing what they did every day. Life was monotonous. There was no meaning, especially not to hers. She sniffed and blinked, causing a tear to roll off of her eyelashes and fall, fall, fall. Other tears mourned the loss of their kin in their slow descent down her cheeks, and she leaned back. She didn't see the man darting for her apartment building. Instead, she closed her eyes and images rushed through her head. She could hear the screams, everybody screaming at her, always. They never stopped, it seemed. She shedded her coat and let it fall to the gravel behind her, on the roof, and then she looked down at the angry red streaks across the underbellies of her forearms. The scabs that multiplied in number every lonely night. She heard a heavy thud on the door behind her and flinched so much that she nearly toppled off of the roof. By the time she'd regained her footing, a man flung the door open and froze.

After the Doctor sonicked and burst open the door and scrambled outside, he froze. There was only one person on top of the building. And she was crying. Neither of them said anything for a moment, but then his eyes found her arms. Almost instantly, she crossed them but he could still see hints and flecks of red, fresh wounds. "Can I help you?" the girl asked. Her voice was soft, weak, and utterly resigned. He stared at her for a moment before finally finding his words. "What're you doing up here?"

"Nothing."

"What's that on your arms?"

"Nothing."

"What's your name?"

She hesitated this time. "Erin." she finally said. He nodded and slowly tried to approach, but she backed dangerously close to the edge. "Don't." she said. The Doctor froze.

"I'm the Doctor. Let me help."

"Who called you?"

"No one. I saw you up here, and - "

"Please go away." she said. Her voice was barely audible. He didn't leave her, even when she turned to face the street below. "Just tell me what you're doing."

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"I'm going to jump off of this building. That's what I'm doing."

His hearts stopped for a moment. Why would she do that? "What?" he stuttered stupidly. She turned back around, away from him. She knew he'd heard her. "Why?" the Doctor demanded.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

She sounded almost ashamed.

"Please tell me."

"Because I'm tired."

That girl stopped his hearts for a second time. He knew exactly how she felt, but he still didn't understand. "I know how that feels."

"Stop it."

"What?"

"Don't say that, please. I'm tired of people saying they know how I feel. They don't." she said weakly. The Doctor glanced behind her at the edge of the building. "Come away from there. You'll fall."

"I know." she choked. Everything slowed down and moving his legs through the air felt like he was moving them through water. As he tried to run to her and catch her, Erin fell backwards and didn't stop falling until her broken body was bleeding out onto the pavement twenty stories below.

The Doctor was in shock. Cold, horrible shock. _How? Why?_ Was all he thought, as he saw the swarm of people running around the body, like a pack of vultures. It was sickening, what had happened; horrific. He stared down at the scene numbly, not able to move, barely able to breathe. He watched the crowd of people raise their heads to look up and point at him and he took that as the signal to begin running. He sprinted down, the stairs, and naturally didn't go through the front door. That'd be stupid. He hoped no one would notice him, but of course, that didn't work. As he ducked through the back door, a security guard caught sight of him and started yelling at him to halt, stop. The Doctor knew what the crowd thought. They thought he'd pushed her. He didn't bother trying to reason with them, he knew that humans could be savage and he didn't want to be thrown in prison. He was already in enough trouble on Earth. He pushed the door of the TARDIS open and rushed inside, slammed the door, and crumpled onto the floor. His breathing was heavy, his eyes were closed tight, his hands went to his head. He tried to push the image out of his head - the poor, innocent girl, choosing to take her own life. And then his head snapped up. Maybe this is what he should do. End his suffering forever. Take his own life and then choose to not regenerate. It's not as different as what the Master did - although he didn't shoot _himself_ \- but then again, the Master was never the best role model. The Doctor shook his head. _No, I shouldn't._ But he couldn't get rid of the idea.

He looked up at the TARDIS. "Why? Why'd you take me here? What was the point of this!" He shouted at her, angrily. She didn't respond. _Of course not. She never responds,_ he thought bitterly. _Stop acting like you think she will._ He slowly stood up, shakily and weakly. _Where can I go now? Where can I go, where there won't be anyone in danger? No one who's angry or bitter or hurt?_

The answer was: no where. Anywhere where there was life, there'd be anger, and hate, and danger, and depression. He couldn't stop it, especially when he knew all of those emotions existed in him. Danger wasn't an emotion, but wherever he went, it followed, almost like a stalker. Again, the idea of ending his own life sounded appealing. He went about piloting the TARDIS silently, halfheartedly pulling levers and pushing buttons, taking himself nowhere. He just floated out in empty space, pulled open the TARDIS doors, and sat down, letting his long legs hang off of the edge of the TARDIS. For the longest time, he just sat there, trying not to think. If he thought too hard, he may just let himself slip out of the TARDIS and die. He couldn't do that. He realized that the Master was still out there, somewhere, and that if the Doctor was dead, there would be no one to stop him. No one that had the past he and the Master shared. Once the Doctor was gone, the Master could do anything he wanted. And then, there was the Earth. Who would save Earth time and time again, as well as all those other planets floating up there in the sky. Too many people needed the Doctor, and he knew that he would be letting them down if he just disappeared.

After a few hours, he gathered himself and got up, pushed the doors closed, and wandered off into the TARDIS. As he passed the door to Rose's room, he stopped with a jolt. Maybe he could get Rose back. He was a Time Lord, for Rassilon's sake, he could do whatever he wanted to. With this new realization he sprinted back into the control room and set the flight pattern to return him to Earth, in Cardiff, by Torchwood. Exactly where the Rift in Time and Space lie. It didn't matter if it was closed. He'd never thought he would be able to, but he could. With the technology of the TARDIS and his genius brain, he could do whatever he wished - and that included getting Rose back. In a mad frenzy he did what he needed to around the console and held on tight as the TARDIS forced itself through the Rift, bursting it open. He could sense the colossal Time and Space damage that was going on, but he didn't care. Not if it meant getting her back. And he was certain, absolutely certain that she would return with him to the Universe she belonged in. He was positive that the girl would say yes, and then they would be able to have the life they wanted to. He glanced at the jar containing his severed hand and grinned. Stupid Doctor, why hadn't he thought of this before? Not only could he bring Rose back, but he could love her forever. With that hand, he could make Rose a Time Lady and they could spend the rest of their lives together. The TARDIS landed with a jolt and the Doctor flung himself out of the door and onto Bad Wolf Bay, where Rose was waiting. In the TARDIS on the way there, he'd projected a message through the Void to Rose, calling her to this spot. She looked shocked to see him there, but her face broke out into a wide grin as he stepped out of the TARDIS and just looked at her. They stood still for a moment, but then Rose ran to the Doctor and held him tight. "Doctor!" she cried. He grinned and hugged her back.

"I thought the Rift was closed."

"Not for me. I can do anything, Rose. I can bring you back."

Finally, Rose saw the Doctor's eyes. They were wild, dangerous - triumphant. "Doctor? What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, Rose. Absolutely nothing. I can do whatever I want, now."

"No, you can't. What did you say about the Rift? If we travel through it any more, it would rip both our worlds apart?"

"Yes, but you can stay with me. Forever. I could make you a Time Lady."

"What?" Rose demanded. She pulled herself away from him. He looked down at her and grinned. "Remember my hand? The hand that got chopped off in the Christmas invasion? I've got it now, Rose, and I can integrate Time Lord DNA into yours. Then we can be with each other forever. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Now, the girl looked scared. The Doctor stared down at her incomprehensibly. "Not like this."

"But that's what you said! I asked you how long you were gonna stay with me, and you said 'forever'!"

"But… it's wrong, Doctor. You can't just make yourself a new Time Lady. It doesn't work like that. They're all gone, Doctor. I'm so sorry, but they're all gone now, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

"But they don't have to be! I've got the Master, and you! Just say yes, Rose. Say yes." he commanded. Her beautiful brown eyes were glistening with tears. "What have you become? You're not my Doctor anymore. What are you?"

"I'm the Time Lord Victorious, Rose. I'm the winner. I won the Time War."

Now, Rose Tyler looked horrified. "What the hell's happened to you?" she demanded. He clenched his fists and glared at her. "I won." he insisted sinisterly. Rose shook her head. "Obviously not, Doctor. You lost. You're just like the Time Lords, now. The Time Lords that were so awful by the end of the war. I'm sorry." the girl said. She turned and walked back to her mother, her father, and Mickey, and the Doctor stormed back into the TARDIS without giving them a second glance. He soared back into the Void and it spit him out in his Universe, parallel to Rose's. He landed back on Earth, in a rubbish yard, and he sat on the metal grating that was the floor. He'd failed again.


	3. Chapter 3

He'd failed again, and was in worse pain than he'd ever been. His hearts ached horrifically, and all he could do was think about her words to him.

 _You're not_ _ **my**_ _Doctor anymore. You're just like the Time Lords, now._

In a fit of anger, he punched the wall, not caring about the shooting pain in his knuckles. He sat down again, not bothering to apologize, like he normally would've done, and buried his face in his hands, thinking: _She's wrong. She'll never understand. She doesn't know what it's like. I'm_ _ **right.**_ He shot to his feet and burst out of the TARDIS and into the rubbish yard, where he screamed up at the sky. Panting, he looked around and then shrieked, " _MASTER!_ "

The Master was the only one that would understand. He was the only one that knew. Within seconds, the Doctor felt hot breath on his ear, and rough stubble scraping the skin there, and the Master whispered, "The Time Lords Victorious. I like the sound of that."

"I thought you would."

"I knew you could be like this. You used to be so weak. Now look at you. My Doctor."

The Doctor grinned at that. "My Master."

"That's right. We'll rule the Universe."

"We'll create the new Time Lord Empire."

"Yes."

"We don't have to be alone anymore."

The Master ran a rough finger down the back of the Doctor's neck, sending shivers down his spine. "Never." he said reassuringly. The Doctor closed his eyes. "Yes." he said. The Master wound around and grabbed the Doctor's arms. "But first, we'll do what I wanted to before. We'll turn the Earth into a warship and make war with the Universe. Everyone that's done us wrong will be slaughtered."

"Turned to dust."

"The dull people of Earth already trust you, Doctor. This time, _you'll_ come to power. _You'll_ begin it all."

"I will?"

"They already know me. It must be done."

The Doctor liked listening to the Master's voice. It was so smooth and thick, winding around his brain and tucking itself into dark corners of the mind. "O-okay." the Doctor said. The Master grinned madly. "Fantastic." he said.

"We'll get justice."

"Oh, yes. And, d'you know what the icing on the top of the cake would be?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"The sequence the Krillitane tried to use to become gods. We're clever - the two of us together would be able to crack the code and become limitless."

"Good boy. Gods. Doesn't that sound magnificent?"

"Yes."

"But that must be accomplished after we've taken the Earth for ourselves."

"Yes."

"Get to it, Doctor. Like you always say," the Master smirked, his eyes gleaming ferociously. " _Allons-y."_

They were solving the Krillitane puzzle, and were doing a good job on it, although the Master was getting impatient. "How long's this gonna take?"

"I've got a TARDIS. It can take as long as possible, and we've got all the time in the Universe." the Doctor reassured him. The Master leaned against the handrails in the TARDIS and picked at his teeth with a grimy fingernail. He sighed after a few moments and sauntered next to the Doctor to look at the monitor. "Oh, come on! Twenty two percent complete? It's been three hours!"

"If you don't like it, solve it manually."

"What were the Krillitane doing to solve it?"

"They used children, but it was going slower than the TARDIS is." the Doctor replied. The Master growled and paced impatiently around the console. "Alright, you go conquer the Earth and I'll stay here and wait." he said. "At least we can get something _accomplished_ while we wait."

The Doctor nodded and made for the door, stopping for a moment to stare tenderly at the Master, who looked irritated. "What? Are you expecting me to kiss you or something?"

Feeling foolish, the Doctor turned and shook his head. "No - I dunno. Sorry."

The Master snorted and made his way to the controls. The Doctor watched him look over the monitor and curl his fingers around the controls possessively, and there was a tiny itch in the back of his brain that told him that it was a bad idea to even let the Master _near_ those controls. He ignored the thought and pushed it out of him, pulling the doors open and ducking outside. He had landed the TARDIS just a few blocks away from UNIT headquarters earlier - after he'd met up with the Master in the rubbish yard, and he quickly, urgently walked to the great building. He pushed open the door and approached the front desk of the lobby. "'Allo, I'm the Doctor. Here to see the Colonel?" he asked. The secretary nodded and politely asked him to wait as she picked up the phone and punched in a couple digits. "The Doctor for Colonel Mace?" she said. After a moment of listening to the person on the other end of the line, she put the phone down and smiled up at the Doctor. "Go right up, sir."

"Thanks!" the Doctor said with a jolly grin. She nodded and then turned back to her computer, and the Time Lord skipped to the lift, grinning wickedly. He punched in the button that would take him to the top floor of the building and stuffed his hands in his pockets as the lift went up. It slowed down and then stopped with a _ding_ and the doors slid open. The Doctor bounded out and into the Colonel's office, where Colonel Mace was waiting for him. As soon as the Doctor entered, the man snapped to attention and saluted. "Doctor."

The Doctor grinned at the salute and nodded. "As you were, soldier." he said smugly. Mace put his hand down and smiled. "It's wonderful to finally meet you. What brings you to UNIT, Doctor?"

"I wanted to warn you. We need to arm the planet."

"What?"

"You heard me. We need to set up nuclear weapons on every continent to fight the alien threat that is approaching."

"You can't stop it?"

"Not without the nukes. There's too many of them."

Now, the Colonel looked suspicious. "We constantly check sonar for readings near the Earth, and we haven't sensed anything."

This comment irritated the Doctor. He rolled his eyes and snarled, "What, you think that these aliens aren't clever enough to evade your silly little sonar?"

Mace averted his eyes and stuttered an apology. The Doctor nodded. " _Never_ underestimate." he growled. The human nodded and sat down at his desk, typing something on the computer and then punching in a few phone numbers into the telephone on his desk. He took the phone off its hook and placed it on the desk, and then put the phone on speaker. "This is a group call with the United Nations Office of Defense - or UNOD. Go ahead. Tell them what you need to."

The Doctor approached the desk and placed his hands on it, hovering above the phone. "Right. Hello, this is the Doctor speaking."

There was muffled mumbling from the people on the other ends. "There is a huge fleet of extra-terrestrials hovering just above the Earth's atmosphere that cannot be detected by any form of radar or sonar, and they plan to boil the Earth."

"Why?" one man asked. The Doctor chewed on his lip while he thought of an answer. "Because they're mercenaries. They're being paid to destroy the planet."

"By who?"

"I dunno yet, but we need to worry about the fleet."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"We have to arm the planet."

"Sorry?"

"We need to arm the planet against the threat. If we destroy their ships, their employer may not send any more armies to destroy you."

"According to your records, Doctor, you're peaceful."

"Yes, well, this is different." the Doctor said. The most truthful thing he'd said to them so far. "We need to destroy them. They can't have the planet."

"We don't even know where to launch if we can't detect them."

"Give me the codes."

"What?"

"I know where they are, and my TARDIS can detect them."

"So then tell _us_ where they are."

"I am a high-ranking officer of UNIT, probably the top-ranking officer. I've been working for UNIT longer than any of you have been _alive._ I deserve full access to all weapons and codes." the Doctor explained. After a moment's hesitation, the men on the other lines grumbled assent, and the Doctor grinned despite himself. "I need access to weapons _around the world._ " he said. They paused longer this time. "Why?"

"The fleet is huge. I've seen it. I've saved this world enough times, I think I ought to be able to have access to its weapons." the Doctor said convincingly. The men reluctantly agreed, and then the phone call was ended. "The codes will be sent directly to my computer, and you can send them to your TARDIS, or wherever you need them." Mace explained. The Doctor smiled happily at him. "Brilliant!" he said, swiveling the computer screen around so that he would be able to read any incoming messages sent there. After a few minutes, the codes came through and the Doctor forwarded them to the TARDIS computer, where they would be picked up by the Master. " _Molto bene!"_ the Time Lord cried. He whirled out of Mace's office without dismissing himself and sprinted back to the TARDIS, which was in the same place he'd left it. He flung open the doors and burst inside just as the TARDIS was receiving the codes. As soon as the Doctor stepped inside, the Master whirled on him furiously. "What the hell did you do that for?" the Master snarled. The Doctor frowned. "What?"

"You locked the TARDIS controls!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Well then how can you explain this?" the Master demanded, tugging harshly at a lever. The TARDIS didn't move. The Doctor approached the monitor and scanned the Gallifreyan writing there and frowned. "It wasn't me… the TARDIS locked the controls herself as soon as I left."

"Well, make her _unlock_ them!"

The Doctor scowled up at the Time Rotor. "What'd you do that for?" he demanded crossly. The Time Lord reprogrammed her and smiled. "There. Now, she _should_ let you have all control of the TARDIS."

" _Should?"_

"Well, I think so." the Doctor said, scratching the back of his neck. He narrowed his eyes curiously. "Why were you trying to fly the TARDIS?" he wondered. The Master chewed his grimy thumbnail absentmindedly. "I was just seeing if I could. It's been awhile since I've piloted a TARDIS." he replied. The Doctor nodded and grinned. "I got access to weapons codes to all the weapons on Earth."

The Master grinned back, something terrible glinting in his honey-brown eyes. Of course, the Doctor didn't see this, he didn't realize how sinister the madman's smile was. "Spectacular." he hissed. The Doctor puffed out his chest proudly, beaming at the Master's praise. The Master jumped excitedly to the monitor and scanned the codes and descriptions of the missiles. "It's a start." he said. The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, and in time, we can turn this whole planet into a warship."

"Like the Death Star."

"What?"

"Don't tell me you've never seen Star Wars."

"Well, I watched the first movie, but they got everything about Space wrong."

"You're kidding. It's a _movie,_ Doctor."

"Yeah, but still." the Doctor said. The Master rolled his eyes and ran his tongue over his teeth. "Right. Now, what?" the Doctor asked.

"We've got to get you in a position of power somehow."

"How're we gonna do that?"

"If I _knew_ , we'd be doing it already!"

The Doctor blushed and looked down at his trainers. "So, what exactly is the Death Star?"

"It's as big as a small planet or a moon and it's completely a weapon. It can destroy planets."

"Ah. Brilliant!" the Doctor beamed boyishly. The Master couldn't hold back a smile. "You know, you've not changed much." he observed. This turned the Doctor's smile into a worried frown. "That's good or bad?"

"I think it's good. You're the same Doctor, but you're not held back by those stupid limits you put on yourself. You're free."

"Oh. Good, then." the Doctor said, smile returning. The Master nodded, crossed his arms, and looked up at the glowing time rotor, sucking in his cheeks thoughtfully. "We'll do it."

After what seemed like a long time, the Doctor was in complete control of most of the Earth - Europe, South America, the Middle East, Canada, Africa, Central Asia, Asia, South East Asia, and Australia. There was only one continent left to conquer. Today, he was standing in his large, lush office, next to the Master, who was lounging in a comfy chair in front of the oak desk. There was a triumphant smile on the other Time Lord's face as he lazily spun the chair on its swivel, his fingers steepled and resting on his belly. The Doctor watched him absentmindedly, poisonous thoughts swimming through his mind. Oddly enough, these thoughts felt… different. They didn't feel like him. They felt like someone else's thoughts. But, of course, the Doctor pushed them away and focused on watching the Master. They were still waiting to hear from the President of America, President Barack Obama. A day previously, they had aimed several nuclear weapons at the continent of North America and demanded complete surrender, like they had done with most other countries. They'd given President Obama exactly one day to decide - and he would have to call at _exactly_ 17:23 or his empire would be reduced to radioactive rubble. It was 17:20. Three minutes for the President to decide. Finally, the phone rang at 17:21. The Master picked it up and grinned smugly to himself. "Mr. President, _sir._ This is your Lord and Master speaking."

"The Cabinet and I have decided that we will not surrender, and if you fire on us, we will fire back."

The Time Lords simpered wickedly at each other. "Go right ahead." the Master hissed. There was an uneasy pause on the other end of the line.

"Of course, it would be easier to just surrender to the Empire."

"No. America will not surrender to you."

The Master sighed. "I believe you."

He took the phone from his ear and looked up at the Doctor standing behind him. "Launch the missiles." the Master commanded. The Doctor grinned sickeningly and bent over the Master to the computer, where the program that would send the nuclear weapons on their route to America was ready to go. He clicked the 'LAUNCH' button and watched the little red dots on the screen slowly approach North America. The Master smirked and watched the dots as well, putting the phone back to his ear. "What's happened?" Obama was saying. The Master chuckled. "We've jammed your signals, idiot. Did you think we'd just let you blow us up?" he demanded. The President seemed lost for words as he realized what he'd done. "Sorry, it's too late to surrender now." the Master sang happily.

"We would never surrender. America falls standing." Obama said darkly. The Master winced. "Ooh, I always knew your little nation was vain, but… _wow._ "

The Doctor chuckled darkly above him, and the sitting Time Lord daintily hung up the phone and watched the missiles get ever closer. Finally, they inched all the way, and big, red letters flashed on the screen: 'TARGET REACHED'.

The United States of America had fallen. The entire world had received news of this "tragic event". A little bit of Canada had also been damaged, even more flooded with radiation, but what did that matter to the Doctor and the Master? They had all the humans they would ever need, and their species multiplied like flies. Soon, the entire Level 5 planet was enslaved by two Time Lords and a TARDIS. Archangel Network was still running on most devices, so the Master and the Doctor combined their psychic powers to turn every stinking human on the planet into their personal slaves. It would take years, but the Earth was being slowly built into the largest battleship in the history of the Universe. Nothing - no one would stand a chance. The Master and the Doctor danced happily around the control room of the TARDIS, basking in their triumph. They looked out at the humans regally, watching them work themselves to the bone, given limited food, water, and sleep. "The Time Lords Victorious." the Doctor whispered, big eyes sparkling. The Master looked up at him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it a little too tight. "We're the winners." he replied. The Doctor stopped wincing at the pain in his hand and looked down at the other Time Lord with a smile. "The Destroyers of Worlds." he whispered in awe.


	4. Chapter 4

The telephone in the TARDIS rang, catching the Doctor and the Master by surprise. "Who the hell would be phoning you?" the Master hissed, ripping his hand away and stalking to the phone and snatching it up. The Doctor bounded over to peer over his shoulder at the caller I.D. "It's Jack."

"Haven't we taken care of Torchwood?" the Master growled. The Doctor ducked his head shamefully. "I… not really."

"What d'you mean, _not really?_ "

"I destroyed their homes, but I didn't really check to make sure they were… dead."

The Master snarled at him and shoved the phone into the Doctor's thin hands. The Time Lord slowly flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Jack?"

" _Doctor! Oh, it's so good to hear your voice! Where the hell've you been? Some maniac's taken over the planet! He says he's the Doctor, but…"_

When the Doctor didn't reply, he could hear Jack's strangled breath on the other end of the line. " _Doctor?"_ Jack demanded in disbelief. The Master snatched the phone away and held it up to his. "Yeah, and me."

" _No. Where's my Doctor? What've you done to him!"_ Jack shouted. The Master held the phone away from his ear and raised his eyebrows at the Doctor like, _no need to shout!_

"This _is_ your Doctor, Girlie. He's mine now, though."

The Master handed the phone back to the Doctor. "He's right, Jack. I realized some things, and now I know better."

" _Doctor, you can't! You save the world! That's what you do - you_ save _people!"_

"Not anymore, Jack. I used to. I was the hero, but where was my reward? For everything I've done, I never got a reward. No one thanked me. It wasn't fair. But now, I'm getting my reward."

"What reward?" Jack snapped incredulously.

The Doctor didn't answer. He honestly wasn't in the mood to talk to Jack at all. So he simply hung up. The phone rang again, but he knew better than to answer, and turned to the Master. "We should blow up the base. But… Jack can't die."

"Y'think I don't know that? I _did_ torture him for a year."

The Doctor almost chuckled. "Ah yes. How could I forget?"

"I don't think we should destroy the base. They've got some valuable equipment in there. I'd rather just go in and kill the others, that way I can drag Handsome Jack here myself."

The Doctor shrugged. "Sounds good. Should...I come?"

The Master nodded. "Oh yeah. Might make them go into shock. Might even make it easier to kill them."

The Doctor nodded. "And...what about Jack?"

"We'll torture him! What'd you think? Got a better idea?"

"Not at all." He flashed a grin. "Well. _Allons-y_!"

They walked up to the Tourist Center to find Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, and Ianto Jones standing outside, with guns.

"How'd you know we were coming" The Doctor called.

"Call it a hunch. Doctor. What the hell's happened? Why're you...with _him?_ Don't you remember what he's done!" He cried.

"I do have a name!" the Master yelled.

"Yeah, I remember. But he's the only one who _gets_ it, Jack." The Doctor said.

"Get what?" Jack spat.

"The loneliness, Jack. Even not getting a reward, along with... everything."

"Everything? What is _everything?"_

The Master walked forward. "I'm getting tired of all these questions. Getting a bit pesky." He muttered under his breath, "Maybe this'll shut him up." Without any warning, he thrust his arms forward and sent streams of crackling, blue life force energy into Gwen's chest, blowing her back. She screamed, and before Jack and Ianto could do anything, the Master stopped, leaving Gwen lying on the ground. She wasn't moving. Jack ran to her, took her head in his arms and frantically checked for life signs. The Doctor and the Master could hear him begging her to not be dead, and they smirked. Ianto, however, stood anchored to his spot. His face was dark, sparking a wicked grin from the Master. "Jack's lover, aren't you? Oh, I remember you. You were the one that begged, _begged_ me to let Jack go, even when I was slicing off your pretty little face."

As the Master said this, Jack's head snapped up, jerked from Ianto to the Master, but Ianto - of course - had no idea what the Master was talking about. "I don't - I didn't - "

"No, Yan. Don't speak. It only pleases him." Jack snarled. The Master smiled smugly and winked at Ianto. "I remember in _detail_ all the things I did to this one. Maybe I could replicate them? It was so much _fun_."

Ianto ducked over to Jack and whispered, "I've never met him before."

The Doctor and the Master chuckled as Jack tried to explain as quickly as he could what the Master was talking for. The Time Lords curiously stood on their toes and mockingly peeked over Jack and Ianto's shoulder, even from the distance. "Where's that little Japanese delicacy? Not dead yet, is she?"

Jack didn't reply.

"And the other one - the one with the frog face. Or is he an ape? Where's the King of the Weevils, hm?"

The human's eyes were dark as he glared up at the Master with venom. He gently laid Gwen's head back on the concrete and stood next to the tea boy. "Or is he dead, too?" the Master inquired with mocking innocence. The Doctor smirked. "Faithful to the end, your team. Well, except for that one." the Master continued, making a gesture to Gwen's body. "At the first mention of freedom, she simply _threw_ herself at me. Of course, I didn't set her free. I finished with her and then I killed her. I suppose it's a small comfort that I didn't torture her to death, although I would've liked to. I liked the way she screamed."

Jack's gun hand twitched and he gave the Doctor an imploring look, silently begging for the real Doctor to step forth. " _Anyways,"_ the Doctor said, his hands behind his back in an innocent pose, "we've got work to do if you don't mind. After we kill you all, we're just gonna give your base a quick once-over. Okay?"

"Doctor, this isn't you. You would never do this. Not in a million years. Hell, you don't even use _guns!_ " Jack protested. The Doctor shrugged, reached into his coat, and brought out the Master's laser screwdriver that he'd kept in the TARDIS until now. Jack's eyes widened in terror at the sight of the thing. Ianto put his hand on the immortal's shoulder, but it did nothing to help Jack breathe again. "I don't really have to." the Doctor said, flipping the screwdriver up into the air and catching it. Jack scrambled away from him and the Master, properly terrified. "Jack? What is that?" Ianto asked, desperately seeking answers. No one answered the tea boy. "Doctor… don't." Jack choked. The Doctor fiddled with the settings of the screwdriver, finding the right setting to decimate both of the humans in front of him. "Just… tell me one thing." Jack begged. The Time Lord froze and looked to the Master for affirmation. The Master nodded, just slightly, and the Doctor turned back to Jack. "What."

"What did you mean by 'reward'?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, you need to know everything, don't you. It doesn't _concern_ you." he snarled. In one swift motion, he brought his arm up and flicked the switch, sending a searing laser into Jack's face. After a few moments of screaming and writhing, his smoking corpse fell onto the pavement and only Ianto was left, red faced. "He trusted you!" the human shouted. The Doctor and the Master watched him, keeping eyes on his gun hand, which was trembling with rage. From there, everything happened too fast - the Doctor couldn't comprehend what was happening. The tea boy brought his arm up and aimed the gun straight at the Doctor, and at the same time, the Master leapt into the air, superhumanly high, and came down behind him. Before Ianto could turn or shoot, the Master had his hands wrapped around his forehead and jaw and twisted. There was a sickening _crack_ , and then Ianto's body slumped onto the concrete. His body was facing the Tourist Center, but his head was staring straight at the Doctor, one hundred-eighty degrees the wrong way. The Master looked from the tea boy's warm corpse to the Doctor, frozen in place and staring at the cadaver. Taking them both by surprise, Jack gasped to life beside the Master, but the Time Lord swiftly broke his neck as well. Jack's neck snapped like a carrot in the powerful hands of the Master. The Doctor was staring at Ianto's body, but he wasn't really seeing anything. He was stunned stupid. Everything had happened so fast… he felt the Master's warm, soft hand slip into his, hot breath on his neck. Coarse stubble grazed the tender flesh of the Doctor's throat. "It's okay, Doctor." the Master whispered. The Doctor felt the hot tears in his own eyes and he turned his head to look at his friend. "You… you killed them?" he whispered, not really able to comprehend it. The Master nodded, smiled softly, looked up into the Doctor with warm, reassuring eyes. "Yes, I did. That's okay, right?"

"I… don't know."

He felt the Master's hand on his cheek, turning his head, and then lips. The Master's stubble irritated the skin of his face, but he didn't mind. Too soon, the Master broke away. "It's okay, right?" he asked again. Now, the Doctor was confident. "Yeah. It's alright." he replied. Jack gasped to life again twenty feet away from where they were standing and he took a few seconds to catch his breath. In those few seconds, the Master leapt to him, cackling, and seized him by the hair. In moments, the Doctor was by his side and they were both snarling down at Jack, who still had a grip on his revolver. The Doctor sharply kicked his wrist and Jack yelped, letting the gun go and sending it flying away from him. "Go on, Doctor. Not your first blood, is it?" the Master commanded. The Doctor tucked the laser screwdriver into his pocket and put his hands where he'd seen the Master's. Jack didn't beg. By now, he'd seen Ianto's corpse and he was unable to speak. All the fight drained from him, the human closed his eyes as the Doctor snapped his neck. Again, Jack fell onto the concrete, his hair released. The Master pursed his lips and looked around. No one was in sight. Most of the humans on Earth were either dead or enslaved. He took Jack's body in his strong arms and leapt away, leaving the Doctor alone with Ianto's dead body. Unsure of what to do now, the Doctor prodded the tea boy's corpse with the toe of his trainer.

Inside the Hub, Dr. Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato nervously waited, large guns in their arms. Tosh nervously glanced at Owen. "You know, Jack's told us a bit about the Doctor."

"Yeah, but not enough. And he's not said one word about that Master bloke." Owen growled.

"He said that the Doctor is powerful, but he also said that the Doctor is _good._ "

"Doesn't seem too good to me if we have to take precautions against him."

"But he also said that the Doctor is dangerous, and powerful. He was afraid of the Doctor."

"Yeah, and?"

"Well, we might not make it out of this alive."

"Bollocks to that, Tosh. I'll get you out of here." Owen said, trying to reassure her. She smiled softly. "Maybe not, though. And that's okay, I suppose. I just want you to know - "

Before she could say anything else, there were four loud bangs, coming from the cog wheel door that lead into the Hub. Tosh jumped, but Owen kept his cool. "Who's there?" he called mockingly. "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"

"Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!"

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your door in!" the person on the other side of the door called. Tosh steeled herself and cocked her gun, and Owen glanced at her. She was so beautiful. He cocked his gun as well and positioned himself next to her. There was unnerving silence on the other side of that door, but Owen was confident that the intruders would not get in. It would take a lot more than they had. Without warning, the cog door exploded, sending shrapnel and sparks flying at deadly speeds toward the two Torchwood operatives. Instinctively, Owen dropped his gun and leapt on Toshiko, pinning himself on top of her and protecting her. Now, they both knew the danger they were in. It would've taken an almost impossible effort to reduce that door to shrapnel - it was nearly a foot thick and made of reinforced steel. A figure stepped through the flames with gleaming eyes and an unnervingly wide grin. The man was clad in black, with a hint of red peeking out from underneath his hoodie and bleached blond hair. Behind him was someone taller and he emanated vengefulness. His long face was dark and a brown trenchcoat trailed behind him. Owen instantly realized that this was the Doctor - but not Jack's Doctor. Dread pooled in his stomach when he realized that Jack, Ianto, _and_ Gwen must be dead. That would be the only way these two would get into Torchwood. Now, Owen stood and helped Tosh to her feet. He scooped up his gun and aimed it at the Doctor. Toshiko aimed hers at the other man - who must have been the Master. "Hello, little pig." the Master said with a grin. His voice was the one that was on the other side of the door. Owen smirked bravely. "Hello, fox." he said. The Doctor looked Toshiko over, and then Owen. The man felt chills where the Doctor's eyes fell. "I remember you." the Doctor finally said, turning back to Tosh. She glanced at Owen and then addressed the Doctor. "I've never met you."

"Yes you have. Just not this face."

"What?"

"Middle aged man, leather jacket?"

"I don't - "

"Space Pig?"

Owen and Tosh both gasped and glanced at each other, but kept their guns trained on the attackers. "That was you?" Toshiko demanded. The Doctor smiled and nodded. "Yup. 'Allo!" he said. The Master rolled his eyes and curled his lip. "Can we get on with it, please?" he growled. The Doctor's smile disappeared and he nodded. "Right. Yes."

Without warning, the Master thrust both arms forward and began rubbing his hands together, blue life force energy crackling along his knuckles. He licked his lips, and the two humans sensed that this was the end. Owen hefted the gun to one arm and slipped his hand into Toshiko's. She looked up at him quizzically, and then realized what he was trying to tell her and she gave him a small smile. "Me too." she whispered. The Master made a sympathetic face and grinned wickedly as he pulsed twin beams of lethal energy into Owen's chest, blasting him back and tearing his hand from Toshiko's. She clenched her teeth and fired her gun at the Master, stopping him and knocking him into the wall behind. For a second, just one brief moment, his skin turned translucent and she could clearly see beneath his skin, his eyes and skull and the life force pulsing through him. Caught by surprise, she stumbled back and tripped on an imperfection in the floor. The Doctor took this opportunity to sprint to her and whip out the laser screwdriver - isomorphically bonded to both him and the Master. He stood directly above her, glaring down darkly into her eyes, filled with panic. But she didn't show any. She instead took the precious few seconds that the Doctor hesitated to look beside her at Owen's unmoving body, take his still-warm hand in hers, and close her eyes, and that's when the Doctor flicked the switch. Her scream ripped through the base and it was abruptly cut short. The two Time Lords simply stepped over their bodies and into the Hub to search it for anything of interest, leaving behind a grotesquely beautiful scene - two smoking cadavers, bodies broken, fingers intwined.


	5. Chapter 5

The Time Lords left the Hub, the equipment that wasn't broken and was deemed useful stowed away in their pockets. Once outside, they found that Jack had come back to life, but he was motionless. He was staring at Ianto's broken body, and didn't, or couldn't resist when they started to drag him away. He felt empty, and shocked.

Eventually, he found the strength to speak. "What're...you gonna do to me?"

The Master rolled his eyes. "Torture you, of course! Humans. So thick. Even when you see the obvious, you don't know what's gonna happen!"

"But...why?" he managed to rasp.

"Because it's fun. Duh."

Jack didn't say anything else, but the Doctor looked at the Master. "I dunno."

The Master stopped and stared at him. " _What?"_ he spat.

"Well, if it's pointless, there's no point to do it."

"But it isn't _completely_ pointless! It's fun! Having fun is a point, isn't it?" The Master demanded. The Doctor scratched his neck, looking like he couldn't tell whether or not the Master's argument made sense. Eventually, he nodded in agreement.

The Master grinned. "Good." he hissed.

The Doctor shrugged and tugged on his ear, and Jack looked up at him pleadingly. "You can't do this, Doctor. This isn't what you do."  
"Oh, are we doing that again? Tell you what, it gets a bit dull. I mean, all that _begging._ Watching people beg can be fun, but when it doesn't stop and they just repeat everything _over_ and _over_ …" the Doctor smirked down at the human. "I just feel like I want to kill someone."

The Master beamed at the Doctor and then down at Jack. "Come on, then. Back to the TARDIS we go." he said, snatching the man's arm and hauling him to his feet. Jack refused to move at first, so the Doctor slashed him in the back with a searing laser, making the immortal cry out and curse. The Doctor and the Master hauled him out of the Hub and tossed him into the TARDIS. The doors creaked as they swung shut behind the two Time Lords, but Jack wasn't afraid of the Master. He should've been. He knew what the Master could do - what he _enjoyed_ doing. This time, however, it was the Doctor that scared him witless. The whole time he knew the Doctor, he knew there was something underneath that tough exterior the Time Lord put up. Something dark. Now, the darkness was out and it was about to inflict its fury on Jack himself, and he didn't want that. "I'll do whatever you want, just _please…_ " he begged. The Master sucked in his cheeks and looked at the Doctor.

"What d'you want to do with him?"

"I thought we were gonna torture him."

"Yeah, but he's your prize. You get to decide _what_."

"I'll admit I don't know many methods of torture."

The Master rolled his eyes and sighed with aggravation. "Fitting, considering you've been a goody two shoes your entire life." he growled, stalking toward Jack. "I'll teach you a few tricks, I suppose."

The Doctor grinned with that boyish excitement he radiated most of the time, but Jack didn't want to smile with him. "Right! So, what do we start with?" the Time Lord asked. The Master swooped in on Jack and dragged him through a corridor of the TARDIS until they reached a small, dark room with some chains dangling from the walls and cupboards set neatly in rows. The Master hauled Jack over to the chains and strung him up - his arms extended above his head. He was allowed to stand on his own, but the chains weren't slack enough for him to attack either Time Lord. The Master gestured for the Doctor to follow him over to one of the cupboards. The doors swung open easily, and there was an assortment of torture devices hanging neatly. "This is quite organized." the Doctor commented. The Master grinned proudly. "I did it myself."

"You've had too much free time."

"Why d'you think I brought Jack here? I don't have anything to keep me busy most of the time in here, and I can torture him until the end of the Universe."

Jack tried to peer over their shoulders at the tools as the Master whispered explanations. "No peeking, Girlie. I want it to be a surprise. Let's see just how creative our Doctor can be."

The Doctor looked on as the Master explained what pain he could inflict with the tools. "Maybe with this," The Master began, "We can gouge out his eyes. Oh, I've also got that ice cream scoop I used on the Valiant." he began, gesturing to a pristine, sterile scoop. Jack grimaced and there was a touch of disgust in the Doctor's eyes. The Master noticed it too and wrapped an arm around the Doctor's hip. "But it's your choice."

The Doctor glanced at Jack, and then leaned down to peer into the cupboard. "Well, what's this one for?" he asked, bringing out a long iron rod with an iron 'M' at the end. The Master grinned. "That is a brand, darling."

"So, you burn this onto his skin?"

"I think you'll recall how it works." the Master said smugly. The Doctor nearly dropped the thing. He knew exactly what the Master meant, and his hand flew to his chest, above his right heart. The Master grinned and winked at Jack. "So, the brand?" he asked innocently. The Doctor gripped the brand tightly and shook his head. "It won't last."

"Not like it did on you."

"No. I want something that will destroy him. Psychologically, of course."

The Master grinned sickeningly and the Doctor stood back up. "What can we do?" he wondered. Jack looked up, desperately hoping he might be able to wrench the chains free, but they were secure. He was starting to genuinely panic. The Doctor stalked to him and circled him, and then turned to the Master. "What do you recommend?"

"Oh, I dunno. We could skin him alive."

"That sounds like fun."

"Ooh, or we could cut tiny slits all over his body and slowly bathe him in salt water."

The Doctor grinned excitedly, making Jack's stomach twinge. "Or we could do it with Krillitane oil." he suggested. The Master beamed at him proudly. "That would work. Well done!"

The Doctor blushed and smiled shyly, and now Jack was disgusted. This was sick. "Doctor, _think_ about what you're doing!" he shouted. The Master rolled his eyes ago and snatched the brand from the cupboard. He tossed it in the air and caught it a couple times with a smug smirk. Jack paid no attention to the madman and kept trying to plead with the Doctor. "What would Rose do if she saw what you're doing here?" Jack demanded. Before he could utter another word, the Master swung the iron bar like a pro baseball player and crushed Jack's side. He screamed in pain, nearly drowning out the sounds of his ribs shattering and the sickening _thud_ of the metal making contact with his skin. While this happened, the Doctor stopped. Rose? The name sounded familiar, and yet… distant. Like an old memory that could've been a dream. He felt the Master's hand on his shoulder. "You alright?" he asked genuinely. The Doctor looked up at him with a frown. "Who's Rose?" he wondered. The Master frowned.

"It's been awhile and you're not the same Doctor… it makes sense that you would forget her."

"What?"

"Nothing. She's no one. Jack doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Yes I do!" Jack cried through gritted teeth. He hissed at the pain of simply speaking but pushed on. "Doctor, you know who Rose is! You know her! You fell in love with her!"

The Doctor looked back up at the Master quizzically. "Is that true?" he demanded. The Master paused to think and grinned. "Yes. It is true."

Jack was about to yell an objection but he stopped in the middle of taking a breath. "What?" he demanded. The Master glanced at him and then back to the Doctor. He extended a hand to help the other Time Lord get to his feet. "Yes, Doctor. It's true. You fell in love with an Earth girl called Rose Tyler."

"An Earth girl?"

"Yes. She stole your hearts."

"What happened?"

"She broke them." the Master snarled venomously. The Doctor's brown eyes widened and he ignored Jack's protests, intent on what the Master had to say. "What do you mean?"

"She twisted you and used you for what she wanted and then she left you for dead. My poor Doctor. You were shattered. And then you were stuck with that stupid doctor-in-training. You were destroyed. All that time on the Valiant, I was trying to help you - don't you remember?" the Master purred. His eyes shone so brightly, and his voice was sweet and smooth… he couldn't possibly be telling a lie with that kind of voice and those kind of eyes. The Doctor felt something pulsing in the back of his mind, but he chose to ignore it. Only his hearts beating - just the four beats. Now that he thought of it, he could remember the Master trying to console him. Well, not distinctly. Everything was so fuzzy… he could remember someone holding someone else, but didn't know which of them was the holder. Of course the Master was telling the truth. He looked back up at the Master and could distantly hear Jack screaming something about manipulating memories and lies. _Jack's the liar._ The Doctor got to his feet, fuming, and wrenched the brand from the Master's hand. His eyes were dark and his expression one of murder. The Master leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and smirked as the Doctor beat the living hell out of Jack. The human's cries grew weaker with every swing of the Doctor's powerful arms, but the crunch and thud of bone shattering and iron against body didn't diminish. A spatter of Jack's blood landed on the Master's hoodie and a bit of his face and he grimaced. What an inconvenience. He wiped the blood off of his chin and looked down at his already-grimy hoodie with distaste. Some of the blood had stayed stuck in the stubble of his chin, so it remained as a smear of red without his knowing. When the Doctor was finished, Jack's blood was spattered everywhere and his corpse was unrecognizable, swinging limply from one arm still attached to a chain. The other arm was all the way across the room, unmoving. The human was badly disfigured - his face and body could no longer pass for human.

The Master sidled up to the Doctor and wrapped his arms around the tall, thin Time Lord's waist. He could sense the Doctor's fury, and it was beautiful. The Doctor's hatred was so pure, it acted as a potent aphrodisiac for the Master. He plucked at the Doctor's blood soaked suit. "You're gonna have to get that washed."

The Doctor looked down at the suit as well and frowned. "Does blood come out? I've never really had to worry about that, but this is my favorite suit…" he complained.


	6. Chapter 6

"You know, that was quite sexy." the Master commented. The Doctor grinned shyly and tugged on his ear.

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah."

The Master stepped away to examine Jack. "He's beautiful." the Master breathed, circling Jack's corpse. "How long d'you think it'll take for him to reform?"

"I dunno. Maybe a few hours. He's pretty badly done." the Doctor observed. The Master observed the dead man a little bit more and then looped his arm back around the Doctor's waist. Jack had almost ruined the surprise, but it wouldn't take very much longer for the Doctor to forget again.

It was time. The Doctor had completely forgotten Rose Tyler - again - and the world was still in the palm of their hands. They'd even hurled the Earth across space to conquer parts of the Universe. The Time Lords were in complete control of the Vegas Galaxies and the Lotus Nebula. The Master and the Doctor both were less than satisfied with their acquisitions, but they didn't complain. Even if they were the top drug and sex spot of the Universe, they were ridiculously popular. And the neighboring galaxies were weak against the power of the Time Lord Empire.

Today, the Doctor and the Master were celebrating in the TARDIS with slave-made Earth liqueur. The Master had grown quite fond of it during his time as Harold Saxon. Of course, the liqueur made by slaves tasted much better than the regular stuff. The Master smirked to himself and finished off his red wine in one big gulp. "I've got a surprise for you." he said smugly. The Doctor instantly brightened with child-like wonder. "Really? What is it?" he demanded instantly. The Master raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips.

"I'm not gonna ruin the surprise."

"Oh, come on! Please?"

"Nope. But if you wait here I can bring it to you." the Time Lord said. The Doctor looked so excited he might just burst, and the Master slipped away to a room in the TARDIS he'd been careful to keep the Doctor away from. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting a bright beam of light fall into the darkness. There was a woman's muffled whimper, and he stepped into the room, smirking wickedly. He could sense exactly where she was. He strode toward her and seized her by the hair, yanking her to her feet. She tried to resist, but the Master just sighed and jerked on her hair harder, making her stumble in the direction he wanted her to. Still, the stupid woman persisted in trying to escape. The Time Lord rolled his eyes and tugged a collar and leash out of his hoodie pocket. She couldn't see the thing due to the darkness, but his Time Lord senses were superior and he could see her wide, panicked eyes. The Master wrapped the collar around her throat and yanked it tight, making her choke for a moment before he loosened it just enough. He clipped the leash onto it and began dragging her out of her little room and into the control room, where he dumped her in front of the Doctor with a proud smile. The Doctor beamed back at him and looked down at the woman. "What is it?" he demanded impatiently.

The Master gestured to the captive with a smug smirk and the Doctor knelt down to look at her. "She's very lovely." he observed.

"I should think. Only the best for my Doctor."

"Really? For me?"

"Of course!" the Master cried, hugging the Doctor tightly. He pushed the gag out of the girl's mouth, but kept her hands bound behind her back. "Doctor!" she cried instantly. He looked from the Master to her with a quizzical look. "She knows my name?"

"Yup."

Again, the Doctor knelt down and examined her closely. Her clothes were mostly intact, save a few rips and tears with blood crusted around the edges. Her face was hollow, as if she hadn't been fed as much as she needed to be, and her blonde hair was knotted and dirty. Her face was riddled with various cuts and bruises, one eye nearly swollen shut. The Doctor assumed this was the Master's doing. "She smells bad." the Doctor noted. The Master sniffed and grimaced. "Sorry about that."

"I don't mind. Who is she?"

"Does it matter?"

"S'pose not. What am I supposed to do with her?"

"You're supposed to kill her." the Master said simply. The Doctor looked up at him and made a face. "Really? She's very pretty, though."

"It's a test." the Master replied. The Doctor was instantly intrigued. "A test of what?"

"A test of whether you're worthy to rule the Universe by my side."

"I am!"

"Prove it. Kill her."

The Doctor looked from the Master down at the girl, who frantically backed away, tears spilling over her lashes. The Doctor stood and stuffed his hands in his pockets, watching her trying to get away with interest. "Doctor, please, you _know_ me!" she cried.

"It's me, Rose! Rose Tyler!"

The Doctor frowned. There was something in the back of his mind… distant and fuzzy - he couldn't quite make it out.

"You've never heard that name before, have you?" the Master purred. The Doctor shook his head firmly. "No."

"It's _me_. I was your companion, don't you remember? I fell in love with you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's lying to you, Doctor! He's fooling you! This isn't _you_. My Doctor!"

The Doctor stopped dead and couldn't bring himself to move again. Something about those words… not just that the Master had said them before. Something else…

"Go on, Doctor. Kill her!" the Master snarled. The Doctor was wrenched out of his stupor and advanced toward the panicking girl, his eyes dark.

"Bad Wolf!" Rose suddenly cried. Again, the Doctor stopped. This was something he knew. Something important. The Master growled and rolled his eyes and stalked toward Rose, seizing a handful of her hair again and yanking her to her knees. "Who're you gonna trust, Doctor? Me - your childhood friend - or this stranger who claims to be some old Earth bedtime story?" he thundered. The Doctor looked between the two, almost unable to believe that he couldn't make up her mind. What made this Earth girl so special? The Doctor was certain he'd never seen her before, and yet… something wasn't right. But he had to trust the Master. He flexed his hands and pounced on the girl, pinning her to the grating that was the floor of the TARDIS and crushing her windpipe. She flailed, eyes bulging as he slowly pressed down harder, putting all of his weight on her. He felt her throat begin to buckle and collapse underneath him and her face turned red, and then an angry shade of purple. Her eyes rolled back into her head but he kept on, leaning down further and further, tightening his grip until she stopped pulsing underneath him. He slackened his grip and examined her closely, making sure she was dead. There was no movement, no breath, no heartbeat. He got to his feet and looked at the Master, seeking approval, and he got it. The Master looked on him with pride, but then it all went wrong. Something in the Doctor snapped back to reality and he looked down at Rose Tyler with horror. The Master saw his terrified expression and his hearts skipped a beat. "Doctor?" he stuttered anxiously. The Doctor didn't tear his big, brown eyes from the warm cadaver of the girl he fell in love with. He didn't move. It didn't even look like he was breathing. And then, he stumbled back, away from her and the Master. He frantically looked between the other Time Lord and the dead girl at his feet with plump, hot tears falling from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. His mouth hung open in horror.

"What've I done?" he rasped. The Master started toward him, but the Doctor staggered back, trying to distance himself from this man. "It's… it's Rose. I've… I've killed Rose!" he squeaked in disbelief. The Master's face darkened and his lip curled animalistically. "Not just Rose," he snarled darkly. The Doctor looked up at him desperately, searching for any sign of a lie. This time, the Master didn't need to lie. The entire, whole truth was excellent. "You've killed Jack. You've killed his team. You've killed millions of people on this stupid, stinking planet. You turned it into a war machine with me and waged war on the Vegas Galaxies and Lotus Nebula, killing billions." the Master snarled, advancing on the Doctor with sinister intentions. The Doctor was frozen there, staring at nothing, barely breathing. "I can't… I didn't… it wasn't me!" he begged.

"Oh, yes it was. It was _the Doctor_ who beat poor Captain Jack to death with an iron brand. Better than that - you _mutilated_ him! Go take a look. He's not even human anymore."

As if on cue, the two of them heard Jack shrieking from his room down the corridor. "Listen to that, Doctor. That's _your_ doing. _You_ did that!"

The Doctor's eyes were terrified. He scrambled away from the Master, who continued stalking toward him, eyes glittering with dark loathing. " _You_ killed all those people!" he bellowed. The Doctor scrambled away, backing himself against the door and cowering away from the psychopath. He slowly stood and felt the knob and lock of the doors digging into his back, and all at once… he was calm. He knew what to do. In one movement, he reached behind him, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. The TARDIS was floating just barely inside the Earth's atmosphere, at a point high enough where they could see their new empire. The Master looked behind the Doctor at the open air and then his eyes widened. "You're not serious." he said with a smirk. Tears streaked down the Doctor's cheeks and he took one step toward the edge.

"You would never." the Master growled. The Doctor glanced behind him as he took one more step.

"What will the Universe do without its Doctor? Perhaps it will have to get used to a new Master once you're gone."

The Doctor didn't want to listen to the Master. He didn't want to have to kill himself. But what choice did he have? Never cruel nor cowardly. He'd failed. He didn't have a choice now. He was right on the edge. The wind rustled through his hair.

"Don't you dare, Doctor." the Master growled. "I know you're just gonna regenerate."

"I'm really not." the Doctor said shakily. He took one shoe off of the floor and dangled it over the edge. The Master took one step forward but the Doctor jerked back, nearly toppling off of the edge. "What will the Universe do without its Doctor?" the Master demanded again. The Doctor remained silent, but the Master grinned. "Oh,wait. Just hold on one minute." he commanded, darting back through the TARDIS and emerging with a mostly-formed and conscious Jack. "Look, Girlie! Look at your Doctor."

Some of Jack's bones crunched into place, provoking a scream of agony, and then he cracked open his eyes to look at the Doctor. " _Doc - tur…"_ Jack slurred. The Doctor looked down at him, and then at the Master. "Don't. Don't let him see this." he begged quietly. The Master smirked and seized a handful of Jack's hair, forcing him to look at Rose's corpse. "You know who that is?" he demanded. Jack was only able to offer a gurgle. "That, my dear, is Rose Tyler. D'you know who killed her?" the Master asked innocently. Jack tried to shake his head and look away, but the Master instead directed his head in the Doctor's direction. "The same one who beat you to death."

"N-no…"

"Yes."

The Doctor looked hopelessly between the Master and Jack, and then down, below him at the Earth. "I did this." he whimpered. The Master nodded with an evil glint in his eyes. "Go on, then. _Do it._ " he hissed. The Doctor's knuckles were white as he held onto the doors of the TARDIS, but then he let go. He was nearly doing it. But what about the Universe? The Universe didn't need someone like him. He was just like the Master now.

He tipped backwards, falling down, down, down. He saw the Master leaning against the doors of the TARDIS, looking down at him with a smug expression. The psychopath grew smaller and smaller as the Doctor kept falling. It was a relief. For the first time in all his lives, he felt free. He didn't have an obligation to anyone, no one that needed his protection right now. It was just him. For those beautiful moments, it was quiet. He looked above him at the sky. Funny, he'd never really looked at the sky of Earth before. Really _looked._ It was so blue… the clouds were so white and graceful, like horned kimpers - the cows of Gallifrey. The wind felt so good, going through his hair, pressing against his back as he kept on falling. He knew it had been several seconds. There wouldn't be much more time to appreciate the things he'd never appreciated before. But then again, there was that sense of contentment again. He didn't _need_ to do anything. He closed his eyes and let himself fall, overcome with peace.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor's body slammed into the ground and burst like a watermelon, spurting blood everywhere. The Master watched with interest from his perch on the TARDIS. With a fall like that, the Doctor didn't even have a chance to regenerate. He was dead the moment he left the TARDIS. The Master looked back at Jack, with his bones still crunching into place and screaming in agony. Although, the Time Lord suspected it wasn't the pain of reforming that Jack was screaming at. If he was honest with himself, he felt a pang in his hearts as he watched the Doctor's body leak out onto the pavement. Quickly, he jumped to the controls and flew the TARDIS down there, next to the cadaver, and then knelt beside the Doctor's corpse. Little tongues of Artron energy were dissolving from the blood, reaching into the air and then disappearing. The Master could feel it. The energy was dissolving into the atmosphere and surrounding him, thick and hot. Of course, the humans would never feel it, but this was the Doctor's soul. Artron energy broken up into the atmosphere of this planet would be combination that will prove deadly to many invading species, including Sontarans. Even after death, the Doctor would be protecting his favorite planet. The Master was shoved aside by Jack - mostly reformed. The human collapsed at the side of the Doctor's broken body - limbs mangled, skull split. The Master pursed his lips and watched Jack grieve, and then stepped back into the TARDIS. "Put this planet back together, Girlie. It's pathetic." he growled, slamming the doors shut. He heard Jack pounding on them, screaming to get in, but he simply piloted the TARDIS somewhere far away. Now that there was no one to stop him, he could do anything. And now that he could do anything, he had no idea what to do. With no one to try and succeed in stopping him, what fun was it? He might as well just be like the Doctor and save people because they can't take care of their miserable selves. The Master frowned. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn't become a goody-two-shoes like the Doctor! He ran his hand through his hair and leaned against the console, which abruptly went dark. The TARDIS emitted groans and moans, and the Master knew why. The Doctor was dead, so she would die. The Master's hearts were in pain as he listened to her mourning the Doctor. This was the song of the deceased Time Lord's TARDIS, now. Finally, the TARDIS went silent. She was dead.

Someone pounded on the TARDIS door, making the Master jump. He cursed himself and tentatively cracked the door open, but was shoved back by a man pushing his way in. The Master was held at gunpoint as the intruder checked outside and then slammed the door. He looked about the TARDIS and grinned. "Perfect. This should keep them out."

"Who the hell are you?" the Master spat. The stranger didn't move his gun away from the Master's skull, but he looked the Time Lord over and smirked. "I should ask the same of you."

"My name is the Master."

"Ooh, I love a man who's got a superiority complex."

"What?"

"What's your _real_ name?"

"That _is_ my name!"

"You're a Time Lord. You've got a real name. Tell me."

"I don't recognize that name anymore. I am the Master." the Master snarled. And then what the intruder had said hit him. "How did you know - "

"The TARDIS sorta gave it away."

"Who the hell are you?" the Master repeated, confused and irritated. The man smirked and lowered his gun, but didn't holster it in one of the two holsters hanging off of his belt. Although it was dark, the Master noticed the sword that also hung from the man's two belts. "I'm guessing it's not yours, though. Tell you what, you should never steal a Time Lord's TARDIS and then kill said Time Lord. The TARDIS dies with it, you know."

" _Yes,_ I know that. I'm not an idiot." the Master snarled. The man shrugged and put his free hand on his hip. "We're gonna have to find a new place to hide. They'll get through that door in no time."

"Who's 'they'? And _who are you?"_

"Oh, just some police. Well, sort of mercenaries. They're called Judoon. Came down to Earth just to hunt me down."

"I know of them."

"Then you'll know why we've got to get going. They'll _execute me._ " the stranger said. The Master crossed his arms and leaned against the console. "I'm not moving until you tell me who you are."

"Captain John Hart! Now, we've got to get moving!"

"What did you do?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I want to know."

Hart rolled his eyes and raised the gun again, pressing the barrel to the Master's skull. The Time Lord could sense that the Captain would have no problems shooting him there and then. "Why're you taking me when you could just kill me?" the Master demanded, his hearts racing.

"Because I need a hostage. And you're one hell of a valuable hostage. So, let's _go_." Hart hissed. The Master's hearts ached. The Doctor would've said that stupid French phrase he was so obsessed with - _allons-y._ Hart seized the Master's arm and dragged him out, but the Master didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave the TARDIS. He could've stayed there forever.


End file.
